The 5th essential ingredient to healthy weight loss is “how you eat”. The French don’t “diet”, they eat rich food and drink red wine and their rates of obesity are significantly lower than those in North America. Why is this? While there are several reasons, one of the key reasons is “how they eat”. The French know how to enjoy their food. Mealtime is a relaxed and very social event. They take much longer to eat their food and yet, consume overall fewer calories than we do in North America.

In contrast, our North American style of eating is characterized by meals on the run; often shoving down food as we run off to another meeting, or rush to get our kids to sports. Not only does this make us more likely to eat more, it raises our stress while eating which in turn causes our body to store more of these calories as fat.

Learn to savor and enjoy your food. Make mealtime a time of celebration. Slow down! The more you can incorporate these principles into your life, the more you will begin to truly enjoy your food and need less to satisfy you.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well."   
~ Virginia Woolf

Check-In:

1. Eat slowly and savour every bite.
2. Put your fork down between mouthfuls and chew for several minutes. 
3. Celebrate and enjoy mealtime.
4. Comment below about what you have learned.